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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – A former Buffalo Police officer and civil rights activist was sentenced to an unconditional discharge.

Cariol Horne wanted to get several charges dismissed after a courtroom incident in July.

A city judge dismissed some charges against her, but she was still found guilty of trespassing and not guilty of criminal contempt.

Horne was arrested for taking part in a demonstration that blocked traffic on February 17, protesting police brutality, as Mayor Byron Brown was delivering his State of the City address.

When Horne went to court in July, a court officer accused her of violating courtroom decorum by using her cell phone in court, and she was arrested.

Horne’s attorney had a message for the prosecution:

“When a judge is saying these are not even legally sufficient charges, they should see it, too. They should not be cheerleaders for cops, and playing on the same team. These are the sorts of dynamics that really erode public trust within the justice system, and the judge agreed that these were not legally sufficient. It should not get to the judge, the prosecution should dismiss this and focus upon more important things, like real crimes that take place and they did not.

Horne was fired after a hotly debated public hearing, for scuffling with a superior officer over the handling of a suspect nine years ago.

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